Athens Bowlers Dominant at Golden Olympics

By Ace Goodman
Special Correspondent

Athens, Ga. - Eva Watkins won four medals - three golds and one silver - Otis Hayes won three gold medals, and Margie Hatch took home three medals in bowling - one gold, one silver, and one bronze - as the Athens Area Golden Olympics completed its games for the year 2000.

Ms. Watkins took Division One women's singles with a 482 to earn gold, then teamed with Thelma Jackson to capture Division One women's doubles with a combined 975. Ms. Watkins earned the hat-trick by taking Division One mixed doubles with partner James Peek with a total of 967.

Mr. Hayes earned a gold medal in men's singles with a 543 series. He teamed with Bill Johnson to take another gold in men's doubles with a team total of 1092, and completed the gold trifecta in mixed doubles, combining with Doris Bennett to post a 1070 team total.

Ms. Hatch, a retired Rockwell rocket scientist now residing in Winder, Ga., struck gold when she and partner Corky Stiving swept the Division Two bowling competition in women's doubles with a combined score of 965. Ms. Hatch then teamed with Bill Johnson to win a silver medal in mixed doubles with a combined 1068, and the bronze was captured in mixed doubles when she and Bennie Lomax posted a total of 1053.

"This was the best event I ever bowled in," Ms. Hatch reported. That is no small praise from a woman who has spent her entire life bowling in leagues and tournaments all over the globe.

Other big winners in the bowling festival included Hall-of-Famer Bill Johnson with two golds and one silver; James Peek with two golds and a bronze; and Bennie Lomax with two golds and a bronze.

Closing ceremonies for the Athens Area Golden Olympics were conducted at Sandy Creek Park in Athens on May 12, 2000, at 6:00 p.m. Master of Ceremonies for the event was Bill Hale, and awards were presented by Georgia State Representative Louise McBee, the former Dean of Women at the University of Georgia. Co-Chair Anne Hansen closed the ceremony with final remarks, and the flame of the games was extinguished by the old-timer herself, three-time bowling medalist Margie Hatch.

The crowd grew impatient as Ms. Hatch took her own sweet time putting out the fire. The barbecue picnic was getting cold and just about everyone there was simply starved. In the end, however, there was plenty of pork to go around and everyone went home stuffed, including the somewhat char-broiled Ms. Hatch. She is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair her burns on May 22, 2000.

Posted: May 27, 2000

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